Machine for feeding strips.



PATENTED JUNE 9, 1908.

L. G. WING.

MACHINE FOR FEE DZNG STRIPS.

APPLIGATIOH FILED 2-1201. 26, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SEEP]! l L. G. WING;

MACHINE FOR FEEDING STRIPS.

APPLICATION FILED MAE.26,1907.

2 SHEBTSSHEET 2.

By his Aiiorne g J M l r LDUPt t ,tertain "place.

meanswhereby the strips are fed at regular sraENT oFFIoE.

entrain sTA'r LINGAN O. WING, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

' specification.

This invention has reference to mechanism for positively and efficiently feeding strips of very thin material such as paper labels or the like, from a superposed pile or package, so that stripswill be fed successively one at a time, and deliveied to a certain desired place for various uses. such as to be attached to or secured around various articles.

The invention comprehends nnans whereby strips of paperor other thin material will be withdrawn one-at a time from the bottom of a superposed pile; and the strips intermittently advanced and deposited. at a The mechanism inchules intermittent periods bearing a certain relation to a continuously moving driving shaft. Two embodiments of this invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which 1 Figure l is a side elevation, partly in seetion of one embodiment; and Fig. 2 is a similar view of a slightly modified form of the invention.

Referring now to the structure set forth in Fig. 1 the mechanism comprises essentially a movable feed-surface upon which the bottom one of a pile of strips or a portion thereof, is pressed by any suitable means, such as a weight. Above the fecrbsurface is arranged a cooperating member. The feed-surface is actuated intermittei'itly in one direction, its

surfaccspecd being that required to advance the strip .the desired distance. The cooperating member that engages the opposite face of the strip permitted but a very slight movement in the direction of the feed, and is prevented from further movement in such direction, whereby the strip, except at the initial portion of its mov-nnmnt between said members, passes betw n a movablefeed suriace'and astationary cooperating member. The purpose of such slight advancing movement of the cooperating member is for the purpose of selecting the lowermost strip from the pile to cause it alone to enter bet ween the movable feed surface and the. cooperating Specification of Letters Patent. 7 Application filed March 26, 1907. Serial No. 364,570.

tween the two members.

Patented June 9, 1908.

member; while the superposed strips are retarded and prevented from advancing by the immediate arrest of the motion of the cooperating member; the continued motion of the movable feed-surface serving to carry the selected strip along and present it beyond these members. T hereupon, the movable feed-surface is stopped, and the cooperating member is given a reverse moven l nt by suitable means. to return it to its former position, therefore, it being moved backwards the slight distance that it was advanced by the engagement therewith of the strip fed forward by the movable feed-surface. This latter motion of the cooperating member will also serve to move the strips immediately above the lowermost stri somewhat rearward and facilitate the se ection of the next strip to be fed, so that upon the next advancement of the movable feed-surface, this latter strip will be advanced between the members. And the arrest of the for ward movement of the cooperating member will serve to keep back the up or strips, while the movable feed-surface uring its next intermittent advancement will carry this trip through be- This return movement of the coo 'ierating member may be effected in several ways. Its forward movement may be retarded by a resilient member, whereby, as soon as the strip has passed be yond the cooperating members, and. this member is free, the reaction will return such member to its former position. Another means for effecting such movement is to have a positively acting reciprocatil'ig device that at the proper period will positively engage with the cooperating, member and move it bae'r to its former position.

Referring now to Fig/1 the movable feedsurface is formed by a'n endless belt 6 carried by two parallel rollers 7 and 8, rotatably supported in suitable bearings in a frame 9. The cooperating member is shown as formed of a single cylindrical roller 10, whose periphery is preferably, formed of a resilient material such as soft rubber. And the belt 6 is also preferably formed of soft rubber, or has itsengaging surface so constituted, to cause suflicient friction with the strip to advance the same without danger of slip. The roller 10 is pivotallysupported by suitable n: us 11, only one of which is shown, the

frame 9. The roller 10 ocated above an arms being suitably supported from the lit on the frame of the machine.

intermediate art of the belt between the supporting rel s 7 and. 8 to have a slight frictional engagement with the belt. means are provided for intermittently rotating one of the rolls supporting the belt, in one direction. In the present instance the roll 8 is driven by a pinion 12 fast to the roll, that meshes with a gear 13 suitably pivoted Another gear 14 carried by an arm 15 depending from the frame 9, meshes with the gear 13 on a driving shaft 65 is mounted a disk 16 provided with a cam slot 17 into which latter projects a roller 18 pivoted on a lever 19; the latter swinging from a lug 20 beneath the frame 9.

The rotation of the cam disk will evidently oscillate the arm 19, and the latterserves to reciprocate a rack-bar 21 pivoted to the arm at 22. This rack-barhas a slotted portion at its other end containing a rack 23 on the lower side. Concentric with the gear 14 is loosely mounted a ratchet wheel 24 whose teeth engage a pawl 25 pivoted on the gear 14. A pinion 26 is fast on one face of the ratchet wheel 24, and operates in the opening in the rack-bar, its teeth engaging-the rack therein. The swinging of the lever and rack-bar by the cam member will thereby rotate the gear successively in 0pp0site directions, which will carry the ratchet wheel 24 around. with it. When moving in one d irection, the ratchet wheel will not engage the pawl 25,"but when the lever is advanced.

toward the ratchet wheel, the latter will engage the pawl and carry the gear 14 around therewith. And the latter gear through the intermediate gear 15 will operate the gear 12 and rotate the roller 8. By this .means the belt is given an intermediate movement, always in the same direction. The lever,

' rack-bar andgears are so relatively propertioned that at each reciprocation of the lever the belt will be given a sufficient movement to properly ad'vance the length of stripdesired to be operated upon. The cooperating member or roller 10 is revented from rotating in the direction of t e feed by means of a the irection of. the'feed, that is, thedirec-. tion in which the roll 10 will be rotated byengagement with the belt 6, or by the strip passing between the belt and the roller 10 and a vanced by the-belt. At the conclusion of the intermittent nnftion of the gears advancm the belt, when the strip has emerged rom between the bolt and the roller tation. Suitable the now stationary upper roller 10.

10, the latter is given a slight backward ro- In the form shown in this figure, it is positively actuated by means-o'fan arm 36 fasten the spindle 31 of the roller 10, that projects into the path of movement of a detent 37 extending upward from the rack-bar 21. But this engagement of the detent with the arm is only at the extreme limit of the swing of the rackbar, and hence will effect a very small reverse movement of the roller 11) which movement will slightly elevate the stop bolt 33 from strip 35 on the table.

The strips advanced from between the bolt and roller are shown as passed between two advance feed rolls, that in the present con-. struction are continuously driven, and which are operated at a surface speed slightly greater than that of the belt 6, whereby the strip is given a small amount of tension tending to draw it between the bolt and roller 10. The advancing rolls are shown as comprising a small roll 40 mounted on the table in suitable bearings, not shown, that engages a superposed roll 41. rotatably supported on suitable arms 42 only one of which is illustrated. The roller 41, may be. driven by a pulley 43, fast thereon, around which passes a bolt 44 that is actuated by passing around a pulley 45 fast on. the driving shaft 65. The rolls 40 and 41 are preferably faced with soft rubber or similar friction material; and, as stated, the pulley 41 is driven at a surface speed slightly greater than that of the'belt 6.

But the roll 4.1 is continuously driven, while the belt 6 is intermittently operated; whereby as soon as each strip is passed in between the rolls 40 and 41 by means of the belt 6, the strip being engaged by the latter rolls before' being disengaged by the belt and cooperating roll 10, the strip will be further discngages the roller 1.0.

The operation of the construction described is as follows, a superposed pile of strips 49 are placed on the table 9 with their end portions resting on the belt and the ends advanced without any stoppage as soon as it are advanced to project in the angular space between the belt and the forward portion of the roller 10 as shown in the drawing. The strips are pressed against the belt by suitable means, such as a weight 50. The first'movement of the belt, su posing the roller 10 to be in the position wit 1 the strip elevated, will tend to draw the advanced strips at the lower portion of the pile, between the bolt and roller. But the motion of the roller is immediately arrested by the stop pin 33, while the movement of the belt. continues. belt will be in engagement with a large portion of the end face of the lowermost stri and the considerable friction thereby oli tained will serve to advance this strip. But this movement will be retarded because of Yet this retarding 'will be overcome b y the far greater The . tendency of the belt toadvance this lower strip. The forward and up or portions'of the adjacent upper strips will tionary roller 10and prevent their advancement, which retarding influence .will be facilitated by reason of the'comparatively small friction between the next upper stri and the bottom strip. By this means, 1; e lower strip will be advanced by the belt While the upper strips will be retarded; and the belt is operated until the whole length of strip passes the roller 10 But beforethe end of the strip reaches the roller 10, its forward end is passed between and engaged by the cooperatingjrolls '40 and 41. Just as soon as the 'strap passes from between the roller 10 and the belt, the belt is arrested, by reason of the reverse movement of the rack-bar. It is at. this stage that the detent 37 strikes the arm;36 and moves the roller 10 backward for the engagement of the next strip, that is now lowermost, which strip is selected in like manner from the other strips. and advanced.

Another, means'of causing 'the reverse movement of the roller 10 is shown in Fig. 2,

and is in the nature of a resilient member that is put under tension When the-roller is given'its forward movement by, coo eration' with the belt 6 and the strip being fe whereby, as soon as the strip emerges'from between the belt and roller 10, the reaction of the reshown, a U-shaped bent strip 52 is passed around the spindle 31 of the roller 10, and secured by means of a bolt 53. The lower end of this bolt enters a socket 54 in the table and' engages a coil spring 55 therein. When the strip is first advanced and the 'roller 10 starts to rotate, the bolt 53 will be moved downward and compress the spring. But this movement will be obviously very limited and as soon as the strip passes the roller 10, the spring will expand and elevate the bolt, returning the roller 10 to its former normal position. in other respects the construction shown in Fig. .2 is identicalwith that set forth in Fig. l.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a device f r feeding strips from a rile, the combination of a movable feed-surface arranged to engage the lower strip, a movable member cor'iperating with the feedsurl'ace to engage the strip, and a movable stop device permitting a comparatively slight movement of the cooperating member in the direction of the feed.

2. in a device for feeding strips from a pile, the combination of a movable feed-sun" strike the sta-'.

the feed, and means for moving such member in the reverse direction.

3. In a device for feeding strips from a ile, the combination of a movable feed-surace ofsoft rubber arranged to en age the lower strip, a movable member of so t rubber cooperating with the feed-surface to advance the strip, a stop device permitting a comparatively slight movement of the cod eratmg member in the direction of the fee ,and means for. moving the stop device in the,re-. verse'direction. i v

4. In. a device for feeding strips from a ile, the combination of a movable feed-surace operating in a plane to engage the lower strip, a movable member havin a convex portion cooperating with the fee -surface to I 'advance the strip, a stop device permitting a comparatively-slight movement of the cooperating member in the direction of the feed, and means for moving the stop device in the reverse direction.

5. In a device. for feeding strips from a pile, the combination of an endless belt of soft'rubber arran ed to engage the lower strip, a roller of so t rubber cooperating with the belt to advance the strip, and a stop device permittin a com aratively sli ht movement of the ro er in t c direction of the feed. 6. In-a device for feeding strips from a pile, the combination of a movable feed-surface arranged to enga e the lower strip, a cylindrical roll rotatab y mounted above the feed-surface to cooperate therewith to advance the lower strip, a shaft secured to the roll, adetent secured to such shaft and ar. ranged to permit the slight movement of the .arm and sw'in ing of the roll in the direction of the feed, a fever secured to said shaft, and a member arranged to intermittently strike the lever to move the roll in the reverse direction.

7. In a strip feed mechanism, the combination of a movable feed-surface, a roll 00- operating therewith to advance a stri means for intermittently advancing the fee surface in one direction, comprisin arotatable member for advancing the fee surface,

a driving shaft, ,a-disk providedwith an eccentric groove, a lever carrying a roller operating in the groove of the disk whereby t e lever is oscillated, a rack-bar pivoted to the lever, a gear wheel oscillated by said rackbar, and ratchet connections'between the gear wheel and the member operating the feed-surface, whereby the latter is intermittc ntly advanced.

8. The combination'of an endless belt, a roller arranged to operate the belt, a roller cooperating with. the belt to advance the strip, a driving shaft, a disk provided with an eccentric groove, a pivoted lever having a roller operating in the groove of the disk, a slotted bar having one end piyotally congear wheel, a driving wheel operatively con nected with the roller operating the belt, a ratchet pivoted on the driving wheel and en gaging said ratchet wheel, an arm secured to said cooperating roller, and a detent on the bar arranged to engage said arm and move the roller in the reverse direction.

9. In a device for feeding strips, the com bination' of an endless belt, a movable member having a convex portion cooperating with the belt'to advance a strip, means organized to move the/convex member in one direction a comparatively slight distance and also to permit free movement of the member in the opposite direction, and means for limiting the movement of the convex member in the opp oslte direction.

10. In a device for feeding strips, the combination of a movable feed-surface -for engaging the lower strip, a movable member cooperating with the strip surface to engage the strip, means organized to move the latter member backward a comparatively slight distance and to permit its free movement'in the opposite direction, and means for limiting the movement of the said member in the said opposite direction.

I LINGAN C. WING.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM H. I; an),

FRED. J. DOLE. 

